Brisbane were heavily linked with Forlan in August and it was understood that FFA considered the 37-year-old forward to meet the marketing criteria inherent to the guest marquee rule.

FFA changed the guest player rule this season to pave the way for Tim Cahill to join Melbourne City , with the governing body making funds available to help clubs sign high-profile players, who would give the A-League a significant marketing boost.

Due to Roar's off-field issues during pre-season, Forlan eventually chose to sign for Mumbai City in the Indian Super League, which runs from October 1 until December 18.

The Uruguayan, who won the Golden Ball as the best player at the 2010 World Cup, made his name at Villarreal and Atletico Madrid after a less-than-brilliant stint at Manchester United in the early 2000s.Last season, Forlan played for Penarol in his homeland, scoring eight league goals in 31 matches.

Unlike Essien, who has struggled for games due to injuries, Forlan has played relatively regularly over the past three seasons for Penarol, Japan's Cerezo Osaka and Brazil's Internacional.